Signaling apparatus



June 3 1924- R. L. lSTORM SIGNALING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 24l 1.925

At farnev June 3, 1924.

' R. L. STORM SIGNALING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 24 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 3, 1924-. l

UNITED STATES I.. STORM, GF WATERLOO, IOWA.

SIGNALING Application tiled November 24, .1.923.

T all 107i om t may concern Be it known that I, RALPH L. STORM, -citisen of the 4United States of America, and y resident ofllfaterloo, Blackhawk County, 5 iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in ignalinof Apparatus, of which the following is a specication.

My invention relates to improvements in signaling apparatus. and the objects of my improvements are the following: to supply a signaling apparatus for location at the crossing of a highway by a railway for niechanical actuation only by a train approaching the crossing along the railway and which will be of simple and effective construction; to include in said mechanism means operable by the train to set the signal appropriately to give visible warning to persons or vehicles on the highway approaching the crossing from either side; to also include in said mechanism means operated by the train in its further progress to return the signal toa non-signaling position; to include in said mechanism yieldable resilient locking means for the signal to hold it releasably in either a signaling or a non-signaling position; to add to said apparatus lighting means operated by said mechanism to illuminate said signal only when the latter is in its signaling position. and to so mount. and construct the initial mechanism operating means as to be unaffected by trains passing thereover in an opposite direction.

Wit-h the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of invention herein disclosed can be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic front elevation, as seen from one side of a railway, of the mechanism of my signaling apparatus, parts of the same being sectioned or broken away. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of parts of the apparatus, with parts removed. broken away or sectioned transversely. Fig. 3 is a detail end elevation of the sliding joint between the signal-plate,shaft-crank and the re-setting rod therefor. Fig. 4 is a detail view, with parts broken away, and partially in horizontal section of the respective con- APPARATUS.

Serial No. 676,597.

necting means between the setting and resetting rods and other parts of the mechanism, and Fig. 5 is a detail view showing in plan with parts broken away the setting device and its connections. Fig. 6 is a ton plan, on a reduced scale, of the railway track at the crossing with the respective setting and re-setting devices of said apparatus.

My device is to be positioned at one side of a highway at a railway crossing adjacent to and outside of one of the track rails 40 which are fastened in the usual way upon the cross-ties 39. In place of one cross-tie a wider beam or block 38 is substituted one end of which serves as a base for a standard 1 rigidly mounted vertically thereon. Referring now to Figs. l and 2, the numeral 4 denotes a spaced pair of apertured bearing bodies seating a horizontal rock-shaft 3 having between said bodies the like detents 21 and 22 extending along the shaft longitudinally midway of said bodies and set at an angle of ninetydegrees apart with reversely beveled termina-ls.

The shaft 3 projects to the left parallel with the adjacent track rails 40 for a distance and a double-faced sign is iiXed upon it medially, the shaft traversing the sign and having its outer end supported in an apertured bearing 11 on the downturned terminal part of a fixed shaft or rod 6 the righthand end of which is secured in an apertured block 9 fastened on the upper part of the front face of the standard 1. A brace 5 is -iixedly and terminally connected between canopy at opposite sides 0f and to illuminate both faces of the sign 2 when the latter is set at its signaling position to thus be visible yto persons at opposite sides of the croing.

These lamps may be supplied with electric current by a small storage battery 14 mounted upon the standard and having its circuit conductors 13 and 17 connected by means of a make-and-break device to be hereinafter described. f r

The numeral 18 denotes aflat bar spring fastened at its upper end upon the front of saidvstandard and shaped with a medial bend with anticlinal Yfaces, the fbaij having a depending vertical part or terminal 19. The bend 20 is over the shaft 3, spaced therefrom as shown in said Fig. 21-to'per1n'it the two elongated` detents 21 and 22 to rock `past it while in contact therewith during the opera tion of the signal yin Vsetting and 11e-setting the latter.. A coiled tensio-n spring 32 is connected between a screw-eye-31-fixed to the shaftf3 and a pin 33 fixed tothe-standard 1 below. l/Vhen 'the sign 2 set vertically ithe spring is but little ritat all tensione/d,

but whenthe shaft is rockedupwardlyfninety ydegrees to-place l the Ysign ina horizontal positmn, the `spring 1s under considerable tension and ready -to react'upon lthe .shaft when the -latter is released, by its leverage of a crank orderfupon the projectingscrew-eye31.

Uponthe right-hand cute-rend ofithe shaft 3 is ii-Xed a-short crank-arm 34`v whose `terminal eye or opening is traversed by a bolt or pintle '35 4 which also slidingly traverses the opening of van elongated-,loop 36 on the 'upperfend of are-setting Lrod 37. f

Below the bar-spring 18a-re horizontally 'alinedbearing eyes 4tired on said Astandard to yreceive-andlseat the alined'int'urned-extremit-ies28 Vofrock-"arrns'-24 and-26 of like shape and having upper inturn'ed and unalined yextremities 251and 523 Irespectively which -thus may-clear each other without interference while being rockedto and fro, and.

these parts -25 and 23 underlie 'thefspring fpart 19 near'the bend 2O1normal con-tact therewithA when the signalis in either of its positions. 'Eveson the upper'ends of like setting-rods iAare looselymounted on the -te'rminal v-parts orcranks-29 olf the arms 24 and 26. I'A pairofeyesfor ybearings 42 are fixed Fon-the base-block 38 vto receive rockshafts 76 which have cranked ends '41 and '43` the tormer'beinggpivotally connected to 'thelower yends ofthe-rods 30, whilethe :lat- "-ter are pi-votall)7 connect-ed to the horizontal traction-rods 44, the latter being `positioned near the outer face of the `rail 440. `The numeral 48denotesfa` rock-shaft which is po 'siti'on'ed to rock 'in bearinglopenings in pintle-bolt and Vthe same cross-tie.

brackets 46 fastened to a. cross-(tie 39 anldhas the cranked ends 47 and V49. the former piv- `etal]yconne'ctedby afpintle-bolt to the abuttinge'ndof thetraction-rod 44. and a coiled tension-spring is connected between this This spring tends to rockthe crank 47 to the lett,

Yto keep the vsettingfrod 30 lifted and 'the crank 24e- 25 swung Vback to allow the barsp'ring 13-19 to normally7 be untensioned or only so'much Atensioned as to-holdthe bend `20engaged with the detent 21. 1

The numeral 51 denotes a signal-setting bar whichvflies longitudinal-ly abutting the inner side of the said-rail '40 but E'alittle beper tace of its rightlhand end beveled tion. relatively light antltherefore maybe set or `init the flange oit a wheel which approaches Afrom the left to pass between the bar and the rail without depressing -the bar, but crowding it away Jfrom therail to pass it. The bar-51 is supported on a pair -of coiled compression-springs seatedm about short studs 61 fixed inthe rail base. The crank 49 is bent toward the rail and carriesan anti- 'friction roller 50 engagingthe middle under rtaceofthe bar 51. l

The lower endotthe re`-s'ettin;g'rod is pivotally connectedtola cranked Send T3 of `a rock-shaft 77 mounted to "rock in bearing -eyes 72 fixed onsaidbaseblock 38. :The `other cranked end 71 of'this rocles'haft is bent toward the rail vto carry Aan anti-trictionfroller which contacts witlrthe middle of the under face of the re-'settingbar 63,7"the top `of the latter beinggbeveled at opposite ends at 64 to allowa wheel-flange to mount-it easily j'going in'either direction. The bar 63 isyieldingly elastically supported on a pair jolt coiled compression-'springs v69 asin the case of the ysettinglbalr51, and

has a like connection to ithe raihjuexceptthat -theibolts 66 which Straversethe s lots 65 .and openings in the rail are shorter,'d`o not have springs mounted thereon "butlhave washers 67 and securing nuts 'to retain the bar in operativeposition alongside the rail.

Referring to Fig.'2, the lower detent 22 on the rock-shaft 3 has a contact "lopposite a yfixed contactterminal 16 onv thestand- 4ard 1, said terminals being connected tothe lamp conductors and supplying a'niake-"andbreak device, 4so that when theh'signal :2 is vertically displayed, 'the dete'ntf22 beingr vdirected downwardly. the Acontact'is 'closed'and `the lamps are lighted. 'whereby' at j night Vthe sign is illuminated Vby the 'lamps7` reflectors on both sides and risibletothe occupant of an approaching vehicle for a long distance,

the sign bearing-a warning in large letters. The vdiagrammatic View of Fig. 6 Ashows lill) the'preferredplan of installation, wherein like setting-bars51 are provided at` opposite sides of the highway brut are llocated sew -eral'hundred feet away therefrom. Butlone -re-'setting bar' 631s necessary, as Zthis -ba'r is 1 ,s l A v actuated by a wheel passing 1n either direc`-l The elements of the mechanism lare rersetibythe 'flanged 'wheels di a 'handor motor-car. ldhen a train, or such a car, approaches the crossing, il' depresses the setting-bar 51 due to the riding of a wheelflange over it, and thus the rock-shaft is rocked to draw the traction-rod il to the right while tensioning the spring 15 causing the rocking of the rock-shaft 76 and a downward movement of the setting-rod 30, the crank arm 24-25 being swung outwardly to lift the spring bend 2G out of engagement with the detent 22, so that the spring 32 may react to rock downwardly the rock-shaft 3 to position the sign 2 vertically as shown in Fig. 1, its signaling position. As shown in Fig. 3, this rocking of the shaft 3 swings upwardly the crank 34 so that the pintle 35 passes to the top of the loop 36 oli there-setting rod 37. This loose yor sliding jointis provided to prevent any undue strains or breakages in said connected parts while in operation. Then also, when the re-setting of the signal is to be accomplished, the pintle is positioned at the top of the loop ready to receive the down draft from said rod. V

As the train passes off the setting-bar 51, the bar-spring returns to engage the detent 21 in its bend.v until the wheels of the train are near the highway when they ride upon the re-setting bar 63, depressing it. This rocks the crank 71 downwardly so that the re-setting rod 37 is moved downwardly rocking the shaft 3 back again to its initial position where the signal sign 2 is swung over to a horizontal non-signaling position. The lower detent 22 becomes engaged with the bend 2O of the bar-spring 18 and the contact of the terminals 15 and 16 is opened to er:- tinnnish the lamps 12.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a signaling apparatus. in combination, a signaling device, operable means for shifting said device to a signaling position, other means operable for shifting said device to a non-signaling position, and resiliently controlled different interlocking elements operable alternately upon said means to respectively releasablv hold .said signaling device in either its signaling or its nonsignaling position.

2. In a signaling apparatus. in combination. a signaling device, alined resilientlycontrolled pressure elements independently connected to said device for alternated actuations thereof to initially actuate the device for signaling and then after an interval to render the device inactive, and means controlled by one series of said pressure elements to releasably interlock with said signaling device to retain it in either its active or its inactive position.

3. ln a signaling apparatus, in combination, a signaling device supported for movements in different directions, resiliently-controlled means 'for releasahly securing the device at certain limits of its movements, and independent mechanisms (meralile upon said signaling device for alternated actuations thereof, each mechanism including resiliently-controlled tread-elements arranged in alineinent for successive actuation by the pressure of a wheel riding` thercover to alternate the actions of the mechanisms upon the signaling device while the wheel is moving in one direction only.

il. ln a signaling apparatus, in combination,` a signaling device mounted movably to be positioned in either a signaling or a non-signaling position, yielding resilient trip-devices positioned alongside a line of railway rails in the path of irogressive movement of the flange of a wheel traveling upon the rails to be depressed reactively thereby in succession, one of the trip-devices being mounted and resiliently controlled for sidewise movements to and from the rails and shaped at its following end to be there further spaced froin the rails to allow the flange of a wheel moving in an opposite direction to enter the interspace and pass between the trip-device and the rails without actuating the device, and said trip-devices being operatively connected to said signaling-device for successive actuations thereof to place it in a signaling and a non-signaling position alternately.

5. In a signaling apparatus, in combination, supporting-means, a rock-shaft mounted thereon and having a terminal doubleface warning sign, means positioned within a line of track-rails for pressure actuation in succession by the flange of a wheel traversing the rails in one direction to rock said shaft alternatel,v to and fro to place the said sign in first a vertical displaying position to be seen at a distance from either side of the track-rails and second in a horizontal non-display position, and devices included in said means for automatically releasably locking the rock-shaft in either of said positions.

6. ln a signaling apparatus, in combination. supporting-means, a rock-shaft mounted thereon and having a terminal sign set parallel to the line of adjacent track-rails to be rocked to either a horizontal or a vertical position, releasable lockingr means for said shaft to hold it in either of said positions. electric illuminating means for said sign in circuit with a source of electric current containing a circuit-closer, said circuitcloser having terminals, one fixed` and the other mounted upon said rock-shaft, whereby when the rock-shaft is rocked to place said sign in its vertical position the circuit is closed by contact of the movable with the fixed terminal.

7. In a signaling apparatus, in combina,-

tion, supporting-means, a canopy bracketed thereon, '-a rock-shaft mounted upon the supportingmeans under said canopy and having a signaling sign also under said canopy, vertically-movable resiliently controlled tread-elements positioned alongside the inner face of a line of ktrack-rails adjacent said supporting-means and in the path of the flange of a car-wheel passing along the rails whereby the langewill successively depress said elements while travelingin one direction, and a wheel-flange will depress one only of said elements while traveling in an opposite direction, and operative connections between said tread-elements rand said rock-shaft adapted to rock the shaft/alternately to place said sign-in 'either a 'signaling or in a non-signaling position.

8. In a signaling apparatus 'placed near the intersection of a highway and -a railway track, like but reversed resiliently-'controlled tread-elernents positioned at opposite sides of and spaced -rom said yhighway alongside the inner face of Yone `line of the railway track-rails, a signaling-device in lsaid apparatus movable from a display to a nondisplay position, independent operative connections between lsaid signaling-device and said tread-elements, a re-setting tread-element, resiliently-controlled, positioned alongside said track-rails intermediate the vfirstmentioned tread-elements, and operative connections between the re-setting tread-'element and said signaling-device, the said vtreadelement being operable to move the signaling-device to a non-display position after either of the other tread-elements has `been actuated to move the signaling-device to ,-a -displa'yp'osition i'Signed "at Waterloo, Iowa, this 21st day.

of November, 1923., l c

RALPH' L. STORM. 

